How does the Diocese of Worcester respond to the association’s request that they should be better paid, and that salary increases have not kept up with Cost of Living?

Everyone wants to be able to compensate teachers and all our employees to the best of our ability. We look at the value of the whole compensation and although official raises have not been possible, we have had Step increases or bonuses in all but two of the last 12 years which kept ahead of cost of living; continued a generous employer share of excellent health insurance (currently at 85% employer paid of lower cost plan with a minimal deductible and an FSA); free tuition to their children after one year of employment, and a generous employer match for a defined contribution retirement plan (matching as much as 4% for every 3%). Our ability to offer additional salary increases over the past few years has been hampered by a variety of factors, including instability in the enrollment of students, a growing numbers of families with demonstrated financial aid need which we cannot adequately meet while more private schools have increased available aid, and brand new school facilities opening up in the area, to name a few. Administration, advisory boards, even independent consultants have all been tasked with finding ways to increase enrollment so that we can address salaries and other financial demands. We have seen more interest in the open houses and are proud to offer STEM and STREAM curricula as well as small class sizes to give students the attention they need to succeed, all in an environment where they can be formed in their faith.
Catholic School teachers around the country cannot compete with the pay scales of the public schools in their areas. Likewise any employee of the Catholic Church is not being paid at levels seen in either the private or public sector. A chart from the National Association of Catholic School Teachers demonstrates that the gap between Worcester Diocesan teachers and their public counterparts is not as great as many other diocesan school systems on the East Coast, and the number of steps is smaller than most other dioceses.

Have other employees gotten raises?

Some employees who do not qualify for Step increases have seen raises, others have not. We do not have a uniform, defined pay scale for employees, so it is not comparable. Other than Central Catholic School teachers, most of our employees are at-will status, have no contracts and are not involved in collective negotiations. Many of the employees which saw increases, for example, are only part-time employees who do not qualify for other benefits. Each department, agency, parish or parish school must make decisions based on their financial circumstances, and respecting the principle of subsidiarity in which they make those decisions at the local level.

Can’t other means be found to cut costs to be able to raise salaries?

For years, efforts have been underway to reduce overhead while remaining focused on the things parents want – and need – for best preparing their children for the future. Education today is a competitive business and we are more involved in marketing the numerous benefits of a Catholic education than ever before. While we will do what we can in the short-term, we need to keep our eyes on long-term success to be able to address everyone’s needs.

What about specifics of proposals to make more money available?

We will respect the negotiation process by not sharing any details publicly.

Partners in Charity made and even exceeded goal. Why is there not more money available?

We have always been transparent about the use of the funds raised each year in the appeal – nearly 30 agencies involved in all areas of the Church’s mission receive needed funding. The fact that we exceeded our goal by less than 1% does not give us a chance to address substantive increases in any of these programs, whether they involve education, charity or ministry.